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Consumer Victories

Good news- $17 million ComEd rate cut!

We thank the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) for approving a $17.5 million Commonwealth Edison rate cut. This is good news for ComEd customers. While building a more reliable power grid is a major undertaking, ComEd’s customers shouldn’t have to pay a penny more than what the utility can justify. This…...

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What is the Future Energy Jobs Act? CUB analyzes Illinois’ biggest energy legislation in years

The Illinois General Assembly has passed the Future Energy Jobs Act, one of the most significant pieces of energy legislation in the past 20 years. CUB members should know about this new law. What is it?  The Future Energy Jobs Act (Senate Bill 2814) is a compromise bill that was…...

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iPhone customer “filled with glee” after avoiding $999 fee

Thanks to CUB’s help, a Chicago woman saved almost $1,000. According to a CUB complaint, Doretha started experiencing problems with her iPhone this past June—but an AT&T agent told her she qualified for a new phone. The only reason she considered the offer, Annie said, is because AT&T said she…...

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South suburban mom scores smart thermostat

Saving energy and money have always been top priorities for Anam El-Jabli and her family. But the purchase of a new air conditioner last year made it hard for them to afford other appliances. Then the stay-at-home mom read about CUB’s Smart Thermostat Giveaway in the group’s weekly e-newsletter. “I’m an active follower…...

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Happy consumer: Versus AT&T, ‘CUB’s service was superior’

By Sagar Dommaraju Kenneth Voight loves the “Consumer’s Choice” phone plans and his landline so much that he once appeared at a CUB news conference to promote them. So you can imagine how frustrated he was when an AT&T representative suddenly told him that he couldn’t return to the low-cost…...

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What we’re doing on our summer vacation

By Sagar Dommaraju This summer, or any other time, CUB’s not taking a vacation from rate-hike battles. ComEd has asked for a $138 million rate increase to help pay for upgrades to the power grid. CUB’s legal team is analyzing the proposal to weed out wasteful spending. The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC)…...

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CUB, NBC 5 Help a Couple Get a $1,500 Refund

By Sagar Dommaraju If you’re looking for a good reason to read your electricity and gas bills, just check out Vicki and Jim Pelton’s story.  The retired Ottawa couple overpaid by $1,500, until CUB and a TV station worked to get them a full refund after 17 months of inflated…...

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AT&T tells her ‘the check’s in the mail;’ (but it wasn’t!)

By: Sagar Dommaraju All Barbara Hardin wanted was the $11.78 AT&T owed her. For 11 months, she called the company a dozen times to try to get her money back. She had no such luck, until CUB got involved. When the retired homecare worker first noticed that she overpaid on…...

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Renew your CUB membership in April!

CUB has launched its April renewal campaign to get support for $6 billion in rate-hike battles. Energy giant Exelon is ramping up the pressure in Springfield to raise ComEd/Ameren power bills by up to $1.6 billion over the next five years. ComEd has filed for a $138 million rate hike.…...

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First Quarter Report: $58,828 in Consumer Savings

While CUB’s legal and policy teams fought $6 billion in higher rates in the first quarter of 2016, the consumer advocacy and outreach departments were busy too, helping consumers save an estimated $58,828.08. According to CUB records, the outreach department–which holds money-saving events across Illinois–showed consumers how to cut their utility…...

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